Reviews by BrewsCrewSA:

Well, I like cherries and krieks, and I love a good stout so I thought this would be a useful, intriguing combination, but actually I was dead wrong.

A - Looks good, like a true stout. Pours dark, looks like a cola with tan, brown head. Not very much carbonation, hence only a quarter to eighth-inch thick head that dissipates after a few minutes. No retention on the sides.

S - Smells like a true stout, too. Malty, burnt sugars or caramel except this one has a sweeter scent, must be the cherry juice.

T - Unfortunately, here's where I have a problem. The cherries come off too strong and disrupt the mellowness of the stout. It's a rude interruption as the tartness hits the tongue first when one would expect the maltiness of a good stout. Same tartness carries the alcohol too, and the blend just gets too weird. It's barely enjoyable in my opinion. Leaves an unpleasant aftertaste, too. Just damn disappointing.

M - Would be good if it wasn't for the taste, I just can't keep it in my mouth long enough to tell!

D - Not.

Well, hats off to Bell's for trying something new and unique. I don't mean at all to knock this attempt or the brewery, it just doesn't sit well with me. Hope you enjoy it more than I did.

More User Reviews:

Pours seal brown with good opacity and a minimal cap of mocha foam. Aroma smells of molasses and toffee--no cherry to speak of.

The tartness of the cherry juice is definitely noticeable in the taste, however. There’s also an aggressive prickliness on the palate that I can’t place. It would have to be terribly poorly concealed alcohol for this ABV, yet it doesn’t taste quite like spicy hops either. Whatever it is, it’s definitely there, and it’s dominant. The malt flavor is mostly molasses with a bit of roast, but it’s not very pronounced. Some peat comes through in the finish once it’s warm enough. The body is a little thin for the style, but not aggregious, with a slick mouthfeel.

Overall, this is more of a novelty beer than anything. The cherry taste is contrived and achieves no synergy with the rest of the flavor profile. The harsh prickliness is offputting, and there’s just not enough else there to overcome its flaws. If you want cherry, find yourself some New Glarus or a good sour ale.

Thanks to AKSmoked Porter for this bottle,pours a oily looking black with no head or no carbonation looked like a oil slick no trace of head here at all.Nice aroma though of tart cherries and bitter chocolate,big tart cherry flavor hits right away with some baking spices notes, with a taste of earthiness in the finish.Felt like a oil slick in the mouth as well Iam not sure what that feels like but this is it,a little cloying in sweet/sour dept as well.Probably the worst offering I have had from Bells but it was nice to try.

Into a pint glass -- It poured a thick and dark black with a little bit of red. The head was super attractive and also reddish, and it smelled great as soon as it poured. Out of a limited selection of Bell's beers, I chose a fruit beer. Here's why: Michigan is where sour cherries are from, Sour Cherries are one of my favorite fruits, I love a good stout , and Bell's stouts are amongst their most well regarded beers. This 12oz bottle did not disappoint. A big stout with the traditional roasted flavors, big amounts of coffee and chocolate, balanced and countered with the sourness from the cherries. Not too much sweetness, and seriously, it smells just great. Not a beer I would drink several of in a row, but it definitely lives up to its reputation and I can't wait to get into more of the Bell's.

A: This brew poured into a pint glass was pitch black with an almost devil's food colored head. The dense head was brown and deep red throughout. Gorgeous.

S: The aromas were faint but after some drink- ing the typical stout aromas came through... malty with a little coffee and a bittnerness provided by the cherries, I imagine.

T: Typical quality stout at inception and when the beer makes it to the back of your tongue it turns your face into a knot. The bittner ness is intense. It is quite a feat in that such a strong flavor is imparted with a delay and that the flavor is so fleeting. The bitterness is not lingering on the pallet and is not so overpowering that it eclipses the other roasted malt characters.

M/D: I drank three and the last sip was as impressive as the first. The creamy and smoothness of this beer was fantastic. I was very happy to see a fruit and porter marriment that didn't go sweet but rather allowed the bitterness of Michigan cherries to compliment a brew style that is often at its best when there are bitter notes and flavors.

Poured a dark brown but with a distinct redder hue than a 'standard' stout. The head was also much darker and redder most other beers I've drank. it was bordering on cherry wood.

The aroma was of medium roasty coffee notes with just a little bit of tart cherry on the end.

A kind of astringent roasty flavor dominates most of the flavors but finishes with a distinct tart cherry taste. To me the fruit taste is just a little too tart and doesn't compliment the stout to its full potential. I think a little less roasty coffee flavors from the stout and a little smoother cherry taste and it would have been pulled off better.

The upfront astringency is hampering the mouthfeel a little bit, otherwise it drinks fine. Drinkability is a hair above average for a stout of the ABV.

Look: 12 oz bottle poured into a "frosty mug". Dark brown with reddish highlights or tint. Very little head that doesn't stay long.

Smell: Slight chocolate or mocha with a sweet lingering scent of cherries. I currently have a cold but the sweet cherry smell is very evident not much else is.

Taste: As it hit my lips I could taste the tart cherry and it was also the first and most powerful flavor once on my pallet. Immediately after swallowing I got a very powerful flavor of chocolate then right back to the tart cherries. Not a great flow between flavors at all, more of a stop and go effect.

Feel: The feel of this beer is not that of a normal stout. It feels much more like an ale to me. A easy to sip lightweight feel.

Overall: it's not a bad beer if you are ready for tartness. The first sip of this beer took me by surprise arena was not enjoyable but a renderer that me pallet adjusted and it wasn't too bad. I was able to sip through it and enjoy it. Personally I wouldn't order it at a bar at full price and I wouldn't buy it but as a special at the bar and considering it is 7% it's not bad to have one and switch it up.

OK, I have feared this brew for a few weeks now and yet, here I am reviewing it. I was terrified that I would hate the cherry flavor and pour it. A terrible fate for any beer! So, it has been sitting there, taunting me. Every time I opened the refrigerator door, it made me ashamed. Am I a real beer drinker?? Well, I decided tonight that this was the day that I would dominate that little Cherry Stout. Here goes... Oh, and BTW, my friend Brian donated this one. Thanks buddy!

A: I didn't pour vigorously enough, so I didn't get to see the full spectacle. Small, attractive reddish brown head. Dissipated very quickly. Carbonation visible through the fine dusting on the surface. Thin ring and dusting remained throughout. Black liquid but definitely has a reddishness to it. A hint of red on the edges against the light but barely. This is a dark brew for sure. No lacing to speak of.

S: Nice malt. Roasty, slight smokiness. A little coffee, a little licorice and plenty of dark chocolate. Dark cherry is there obviously but isn't as pronounced as I was expecting it to be. I did catch a whiff of stronger cherry when I popped the cap.

T: Wow. Not expecting that. Got me either side of my jaw bone. A zing and tartness. Very interesting. Upon further exploration, the sweetness is right up front. It is cherry but it is very light and mixed with the carbonation. It hits you right in the palette of your mouth. Almost a sweet red wine-like tannin aftertaste. The zing even gives you a little tingling on the lips. After letting it warm up a bit, the cherry seemed to take on a more blackberry flavor. It retained it's tartness to the last. That was to be expected.

M: Very light for a stout. The carbonation and tanginess makes it feel even lighter. I like my stouts heavier and rounder in the mouth. After warming and letting the carbonation run it's course, the mouthfeel felt fuller, thicker and more rewarding.

D: I was happy to drink it but I am not sure that I could have had more than one in a sitting.

I am not a fan of cherry, so this was never going to be a big win for me. I did find this brew to be a very interesting experience. Bells makes a fine brew and although this one is not for me, I can still appreciate the art that went into it. For those wanting to try a fruit beer, I would recommend giving this a try.

A: Deep dark brown to black in color. No head but a sparce line of bubbles barely formed a ring around my glass. No lacing.

S: Very malty, almost a light molasses or corn syrup on the nose with a trainling hint of tart cherry.

T: Interesting. Heavy malts are very much present but there is a tartness that I can only guess is from the cherries because there wasn't the bitterness that is normally present from hops. The malts tend to have hints of coffee and the finish tends to linger to the bitter side.

M&D: Very heavy mouthfeel from the malts. The carbonation is extremely light, to the point that it only exists as single points exploding on the tongue. Drinkability is very good but this is very heavy so I'm not sure how many I would put down in a sitting. Smooth. Nice.

Pours a pitch black color, with nary a hint of cherry. Smells like fresh squeezed cherry juice (if there is such a thing). Taste isn't all that great. The cherry flavor's way too tart for me, and there's not enough of the stout backing to it.

Overall, this is not a great brew. I wouldn't buy again, and I'm glad I only had this one (rather expensive, at $2.50) bottle, instead of three more kicking around my cellar that I don't care to drink.

I've been excited to try this..it's my first Bell's stout! Deep charcoal black pour with a nice two finger tan head with slight hints of red. No light is getting through this one....nice lacing as well. Sour maraschino cherry syrup drizzled with dark chocolate...intoxicating.

Tart, sour cherry melds with a nice roasted, toasty chocolate...a bit mouth puckering. The cherry takes the center stage and puts on a good show. Quite a nice marriage of fruit and stout. I like this one.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, however I actually think this could use a bit more body...a bit more thickness. Overall, it's just a damn tasty brew and one that I would be more than happy to have a few of. Kudos to Bell's and I look forward to trying more of their stouts.